Along the same lines as his movie In The Loop—and the British series that preceded it, The Thick Of It—Armando Iannucci’s new HBO series Veep (debuting April 22) takes a satirical, behind-the-scenes look at politics, shattering the illusion that the government is run by selfless, morally infallible public servants who rule with a just and evenhanded conscience. Helping to rip the wool from your eyes is Julia Louis-Dreyfus, whose recently installed Vice President of the United States discovers that her new job isn’t the prestigious seat of power most of us assume it to be, but rather an endless series of thankless compromises and diplomatic missions that are dictated by the whims of the White House. Arrested Development’s Tony Hale, Upright Citizens Brigade alum Matt Walsh, and In The Loop veteran Anna Chlumsky help her learn some of those harsh lessons, destroying America’s innocence along the way.